Chicago, IL · Junk car buyers
8 Best Junk Car Buyers in Chicago, IL That Pay Cash for Cars
By Clunqr Team, Clunqr Benchmark Data · Updated September 24, 2026 · 8 Chicago buyers, checked against physical addresses and seller reviews
Looking for a junk car buyer in Chicago that pays cash for cars? Here are 8 of them, with phone numbers, from the South Side and Humboldt Park out to Riverdale, Aurora and Joliet. All eight pay cash for junk cars, including wrecked, non-running and totaled vehicles. We compared each on what they want in a vehicle, whether they tow it away, how fast they collect, and what to sort out before you book a pickup.
Key takeaways
- Here are 8 junk car buyers in Chicago that pay cash for cars, all of them listed below with addresses and phone numbers.
- Three publish free junk car removal or pickup: Aero on South Wentworth, ABC in Riverdale and City Auto Wreckers in Aurora. Everywhere else, ask who pays for the tow before you agree a price.
- Four of the eight are outside the city limits, in Riverdale, Aurora and Joliet. If your car will not drive, the tow has to be worth the difference in the offer, so start with the buyer nearest you.
- City Auto Wreckers is the only one on this page documented paying more than quoted. A seller got a bigger number at pickup because the converter was better than expected. The usual complaint in this trade runs the other way, so that is worth a call.
- Illinois plates stay with you, not the car. Pull them before the truck leaves and file the Seller's Report of Sale with the Illinois Secretary of State so the vehicle stops being yours the day it goes.
We buy junk cars in Chicago too, so read this knowing that. Get our number first, then call two or three of the buyers below. We think we will win on price and on not wasting your afternoon. If somebody beats us, take it.
Get an instant cash offer for your junk car in Chicago
Two minutes on the Clunqr form, or call the AI agent and describe the car out loud: year, make, condition, what is wrong with it. We pay cash, we tow for free across Cook County, and you get cash today on most same-day pickups. You will have a real price in minutes, which gives you something to measure the other eight against.
Backed by the Clunqr Guarantee
The price you accept is the price you're paid, towing across the Chicago metro is free, and your phone number and address stay private until you choose who takes the car. If anyone no-shows, renegotiates in your driveway, or pays a dollar less than agreed, Clunqr makes it right or pays the difference.
Here Are 8 of the Best Junk Car Buyers in Chicago
All eight buy junk cars for cash, and we don't rank them. Search junkyards near me in Chicago and you get a map full of pins with no way to tell which ones buy vehicles, so this is that list. The right one depends on what your car is, which side of the metro you are on, and how fast you need it gone. Wrecked, non-running and totaled cars and trucks are routine for every buyer here. Call two or three, because the quotes you get back will not be the same.
| Buyer | Rating | Best for | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aero Auto PartsSalvage yard · Wentworth Ave, EnglewoodBuys junk cars | 4.2327 reviews | Free junk car removal on the South SideA South Side institution on Wentworth Avenue since 1958, offering free junk car removal with cash paid at pickup. Nearly seven decades in the same community, and a recent review names Carlos on the tow truck and Samantha in dispatch together for a removal that went smoothly start to finish. One of the few Chicago buyers that publishes both the free tow and the cash.Towing: Free · Pickup: Ask · Payment: Cash at pickupBefore you go: The yard closes at 5pm on weekdays, earlier than several competitors, so call early in the day if you want the car gone the same day. | 6339 S Wentworth Ave, Chicago, IL 60621(773) 483-2626aeroautoparts.com |
| City Auto WreckersAuto wrecker · McClure Rd, AuroraBuys junk cars | 4.0489 reviews | The western suburbs and the Fox ValleyBuys salvage and scrap vehicles out of McClure Road in Aurora, serving Kane and DuPage County. Jim Coulter runs the buying side and is named in dozens of reviews. One seller was paid more than the quote at pickup because the catalytic converter was better than expected, which is the opposite of the move this trade is known for. A first-time seller said he walked her through every step.Towing: Ask · Pickup: Ask · Payment: AskBefore you go: Ask for Jim Coulter directly. Multiple reviewers note the experience varies depending on who handles the transaction. | 690 McClure Rd, Aurora, IL 60502(630) 898-2900cityautowreckers.com |
| ABC Auto PartsAuto recycler · S Ashland Ave, RiverdaleBuys junk cars | 4.3348 reviews | Same-day pickup in the far south suburbsThe only Chicago-area buyer on this page holding the Automotive Recyclers Association Gold Seal, which is an audited standard rather than a self-awarded one. It runs towing and junk car removal alongside the yard. One reviewer had a car picked up the same day they called, and another singles out a driver who got a car out of a narrow driveway without touching the property.Towing: Offered · Pickup: Same day documented · Payment: AskBefore you go: Ask whether Lisa or Megan is handling the scheduling. Both are named for making the pickup go smoothly, and confirm whether the tow is free or priced into the offer. | 13741 S Ashland Ave, Riverdale, IL 60827(708) 389-1456abcap.com |
| Bionic Auto Parts & SalesSalvage yard · W North Ave, Humboldt ParkBuys junk cars | 4.0667 reviews | The West Side and Humboldt ParkA high-volume operation on West North Avenue with one of the largest review counts in the city. It buys junk cars alongside a serious wholesale parts business. A seller reports a fair offer, a driver who arrived on time and a pickup that went without friction. The closest buyer on this page if you are in Humboldt Park, Austin or Garfield Park.Towing: Ask · Pickup: Ask · Payment: AskBefore you go: The yard has volume and several people involved in a transaction, so get the agreed price confirmed with a manager before the truck is dispatched rather than after. | 4655 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60639(773) 360-0112bionicautoparts.com |
| Torrence Auto Wreckers & PartsSalvage yard · S Torrence Ave, South ChicagoBuys junk cars | 4.5131 reviews | The South Side without a cross-city driveA South Chicago fixture on Torrence Avenue for over 30 years that buys junk cars. What the reviews keep returning to is that staff call you back when they say they will, which sounds small until you have spent a week chasing buyers who do not. Reviewers with 25 and 30 years of history describe it as their first and last call.Towing: Ask · Pickup: Ask · Payment: AskBefore you go: Ask about their current buying criteria and whether they collect or expect the car delivered to the Torrence Avenue yard. | 9601 S Torrence Ave, Chicago, IL 60617(773) 978-2160 |
| A-Affordable Auto PartsSalvage yard · Patterson Rd, JolietBuys junk cars | 4.1121 reviews | The Joliet and Will County corridorA full-service yard on Patterson Road in Joliet that buys junk cars directly rather than routing you to a separate processing facility. Charlie at the front desk is named across recent reviews for remembering customers by name. Worth the call if you are in Will County or the southwest corridor and do not want to tow a car into the city.Towing: Ask · Pickup: Ask · Payment: AskBefore you go: If your title is missing, ask about the policy before you get into the detail. One reviewer was hung up on after mentioning a lost title, so it is better to know up front. | 328 Patterson Rd, Joliet, IL 60436(815) 249-4215affordableautoparts.net |
| Speedway Auto PartsAuto recycler · Herkimer St, JolietBuys junk cars | 4.4233 reviews | A long-established buyer in Will CountyFamily owned for over 56 years on Herkimer Street in Joliet, one of the longest-running recyclers in Chicagoland. The review pattern is about doing what they said they would do, on the day they said it, which is the whole game when you are waiting on a truck. Cedric, Mike and Andria are the names that come up.Towing: Ask · Pickup: Ask · Payment: AskBefore you go: Ask for a named rep rather than the general queue, which reviewers note can be slower, and confirm whether they collect the car or expect you to deliver it. | 1301 Herkimer St, Joliet, IL 60432(815) 286-4080speedwayap.com |
| McCoy Auto PartsSalvage yard · S Pulaski Rd, Little VillageBuys junk cars | 4.0184 reviews | Little Village and the near West SideA yard on South Pulaski Road in the heart of Little Village, one of the most repair-dense neighbourhoods in the city, with depth in older domestic vehicles. Claudia and Maggie are the names reviewers ask for. The nearest option on this page if you are in Pilsen, Cicero or Berwyn and would rather not fight expressway traffic with a dead car.Towing: Ask · Pickup: Ask · Payment: AskBefore you go: Less is published about the buying side here than at the bigger yards, so ask on the call: who pays for the tow, how they pay, and what they need from you on paperwork. | 2301 S Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL 60623(773) 277-0111mccoyautoparts.net |
Hours, service areas, towing terms and paperwork rules change often. Confirm the details, and the net amount you'll be handed, before you schedule a pickup.
How do you sell a junk car for cash in Chicago?
The sequence is the same whichever buyer you use. Describe the car accurately, gather more than one number, compare what you net after towing, sign the title over, and take payment before the car leaves. Each of those steps is worth money, and junk cars for cash explains how much.
- 1
Write down the truth about the car
Year, make, model, mileage, condition, what runs and what is missing. Selling your car goes wrong when a buyer finds a surprise on site, because that is what gets the offer cut in the driveway.
- 2
Get more than one quote
Never work from a single number. Four of the eight are inside the city and four are out in Riverdale, Aurora and Joliet, so call the two nearest you and one further out, and an instant cash offer online gives you a third in about two minutes.
- 3
Compare after towing
Aero, ABC and City Auto Wreckers are the three that publish removal or towing. The rest do not, and a courtesy tow usually comes back out of your offer, so ask every one of them for the net cash figure you'll be handed.
- 4
Sign the title, pull the plates
Title signed over, bill of sale for your records, plates off before the truck leaves. Illinois plates belong to you rather than the car, and you can transfer them to your next vehicle.
- 5
Get paid first, then file the report of sale
Payment confirmed before the junk vehicle is loaded, then cancel the insurance. File the Seller's Report of Sale with the Illinois Secretary of State so anything the new owner does stops coming back to you.
Before the truck arrives: have your title and photo ID ready, remove the plates, take out your belongings, and don't cancel insurance until the car is gone.
Chicago junk car selling questions
Who buys junk cars for cash in Chicago?
All eight buyers on this page pay cash for junk cars, and wrecked, non-running and totaled vehicles are routine for every one of them. Aero Auto Parts on South Wentworth, ABC Auto Parts in Riverdale and City Auto Wreckers in Aurora are the three that publish removal or towing terms up front. Torrence Auto Wreckers, Bionic on West North Avenue and McCoy in Little Village cover the city itself, and A-Affordable and Speedway cover the Joliet corridor. What separates them is towing, how fast they collect, how they pay and what kind of vehicle they actually want.
Where are Chicago's junk car buyers?
Spread wide, which is the thing to plan around. Inside the city you have Aero in Englewood, Torrence Auto Wreckers in South Chicago, Bionic in Humboldt Park and McCoy in Little Village. Outside it, ABC sits in Riverdale in the far south suburbs, City Auto Wreckers is out in Aurora in the Fox Valley, and A-Affordable and Speedway are both in Joliet. Start with whichever is nearest, because on a car that will not drive the distance shows up in the offer.
Will a Chicago junk car buyer tow my car for free?
Aero Auto Parts on South Wentworth publishes free junk car removal with cash paid at pickup. ABC Auto Parts in Riverdale runs towing and junk car removal alongside the yard, and City Auto Wreckers in Aurora collects as well. The other five do not publish towing terms, so ask, because a buyer that tows as a courtesy usually takes the cost back out of your offer. The number that matters is the net cash figure you are handed once the car is gone.
What paperwork do I need to junk a car in Illinois?
The Illinois title signed over to the buyer, your photo ID, and a bill of sale you keep a copy of. Remove your plates before the truck leaves, because in Illinois the plates belong to you rather than the car and can go on your next vehicle. Then file the Seller's Report of Sale with the Illinois Secretary of State, which is the step people skip: until it is filed, the car is still associated with you. Cancel the insurance after pickup, not before. The full checklist is in what you need to sell a car to a junkyard.
Can I sell a junk car without a title in Chicago?
It depends on the buyer, and none of the eight publishes a policy on it, so ask before you book a truck rather than after. One seller was hung up on at A-Affordable after mentioning a lost title, which tells you it is a real question rather than a formality. If the title is simply missing rather than encumbered, an Illinois duplicate from the Secretary of State is usually the cleanest route. If there is still a lien on the car, that has to be released first, whoever buys it.
Should I call more than one Chicago junk car buyer?
Yes, and in a metro this size it matters more than most. A buyer in Joliet and a buyer in Humboldt Park are pricing the same car with a very different tow in front of them, so the numbers diverge. Call the nearest two and one further out, ask each for the net amount after towing rather than the headline figure, and mention the make and model early, because depth in older domestics or in a particular platform changes what a yard will pay.
Junk car buyers in nearby cities
Selling somewhere else, or willing to look further out? These are the closest cities we have covered, with the same phone numbers and towing terms for each buyer.
Somewhere else entirely? See every city we cover.
More on selling a junk car
These come up on every junk car sale, not just in Chicago, so each one is covered in full on its own page rather than repeated here.
Clunqr Team · Clunqr Benchmark Data
This guide is maintained by the Clunqr data team from local listings, seller reviews and the physical addresses of each buyer. Every operation listed here was checked against a real street address before it went on the page. Last updated September 24, 2026.